Participants in the 2019 Farm to Fork, a Taste of Chenango "Creation Stations" at the Chenango County Fair. The event will return this year from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Ag and Markets tent on Saturday, August 13. (Submitted photo)

CHENANGO COUNTY — Cornell Cooperative Extension Chenango (CCE) is bringing the free "Farm to Fork, a Taste of Chenango" event back to the Chenango County Fair this year from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, August 13 in the Ag and Market tent, near the Chobani Dairy Barn.

The 175th Chenango County Fair is slated to begin on Wednesday, August 10 and will run until Sunday, August 14.

This year marks the fifth Farm to Fork event at the Chenango County Fair, after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It’s much smaller this year coming back from COVID than it has in the past. So in the past they’ve filled a huge tent and this year it is in the Ag and Markets tent where they have all the produce on display," explained Farm to Fork Coordinator and CCE Educator Emily Anderson. "I think it’s a good thing though because we’re coming back from COVID and trying to get more people out and about and trying to get some farms to participate. If it’s small and we have a good turnout, that’s great."

Farm to Fork will feature two different activities meant to showcase food products produced in Chenango County: Creation Stations and a new activity called "Can you taste the difference?"

"We partner up with local producers and local farmers to, on one side with the Creation Stations they create a dish featuring some local produce, or local farms," said Anderson.

Creation Stations will begin at 11 a.m., with bite size potatoes and dipping sauce by Cornell Farms until 1 p.m., followed by Dutch oven pizza and dump cake from 1 to 4 p.m. by 4H Family Outdoor Cooking.

Grow, Cook, Serve will be cooking up caramelized shallot crostini from 3 to 5 p.m., and from 5 to 7 p.m. will be Chobani dips provided by Chobani. Lastly, from 7 to 9 p.m. Cameron Cates Estates will be serving up sauteed mushrooms in Cameron Cates Estates wine.

"On the other side that’s new this year is ‘Can you taste the difference?’ So we’re going to have some local producers, like Kutik’s Honey will be there giving out samples, and can you taste the difference between maybe they’re different honey samples, or can you taste the difference between light amber and dark amber maple syrup?" Anderson continued. "So just featuring local products and local producers and all that they have to offer to people that live in Chenango County, or people that want to visit."

Visitors can start their day at the fair by sampling honey from Kutik's Honey from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Farm to Fork, and samples provided by SUNY Morrisville from 1 to 3 p.m. From 3 to 5 p.m. cheese and milk samples will be available from Dairy Promotion, followed by butter sampling provided by Lamb's Quarters from 5 to 7 p.m. Closing out the day from 7 to 9 p.m. will be maple syrup tastings.

The event will also have a section called "Farms and Food of Chenango County," which will provide information on local producers, brochures, and a map of Chenango County that pinpoints the farms and producers in the area.

Although products will not be available for purchase at Farm to Fork this year, Anderson said everything showcased will be available to buy locally.

"In the past that’s what we had done, it was like a mini farmers’ market almost. But this year we just don’t have the space for it. But hopefully next year," she explained. "[People] could go to the Oxford Farmers’ Market or the Smithville Flats area. They’re all really local, so people could tour and take a little drive and find the products they’re looking for."

In addition to Farm to Fork, the Chenango County Fair will further highlight Chenango County agriculture and products in the Chobani Dairy Barn and 4H buildings. Anderson encourages visitors to visit each section to learn more about agriculture and farming in the county.

"If people are going to the fair and visiting the fair, be sure to stop over and see us, and then just kind of direct them over toward the Chobani Dairy Barn and 4H buildings and they’ll be able to take a nice little tour of Chenango County and everything they have to taste and see. So hopefully people will be able to shop a little more local," said Anderson.

More information on Cornell Cooperative Extension and Farm to Fork, a Taste of Chenango can be found at ccechenango.org.